Macedonia / Μακεδονία

Ancient Macedonia (Macedonia, Makedonía) on the north-western edge of the Aegean Sea was a kingdom in northern Greece and rose to great power under King Philip II. (359-336 BC) it rose to become a great power. He ruled over almost the entire Balkan Peninsula. For his son Alexander the Great (356-323 BC), Macedonia served only as a base for his military campaigns. The Macedonian kings were known for their drinking and Alexander was allegedly slain during a drinking bout. In 167 BC, the empire collapsed and came under Roman rule. When the Roman Empire was divided in 395, the province became part of the Byzantine Empire. After a chequered history, the territory was divided between Greece, Serbia and Bulgaria in 1913 and between Greece and Yugoslavia in 1947.

Macedonia - Greece

Macedonia, the largest Greek region with 34,000 km², with the three-fingered peninsula Chalkidike (with the famous monk's mountain Ágion Óros on Athos) and the capital Thessaloniki, is excellently suited for winegrowing. The climate is fundamentally different from the other Greek wine-growing regions. The most important red wine varieties are Xinomavro, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah, the most important white wine varieties are Roditis, Assyrtiko, Malagousia, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. There are four appellations classified as POP, these are Amynteo, Côtes de Meliton, Goumenissa and Naoussa. In Macedonia, the three major producers Boutari, Carras and Tsantali have vineyards or wineries.

Republika Severna Makedonija (North Macedonia)

The former Yugoslavian province of Makedonija became independent in 1991 and named itself Republika Makedonija (Macedonia). Greece, however, claims the sole right over the use of the name. Due to the name dispute, the state was also called the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). The long-standing disputes between the two countries over the name were finally brought to a peaceful end. On 12 February 2019, the name was officially changed to North Macedonia

Map of Greece: By Pitichinaccio - own work, CC BY 3.0, link
edited by Norbert F. J. Tischelmayer 2/2018